WarSeer - Random Musingshttp://www.warseer.com/forums/
For the intelligent discussion of non-gaming hobbies and interests. Also includes the previous Groups and Factions threads.enThu, 24 May 2018 19:32:54 GMTvBulletin60http://www.warseer.com/forums/images/misc/rss.pngWarSeer - Random Musingshttp://www.warseer.com/forums/
Sulphur Slaves in Sicily (1910)http://www.warseer.com/forums/showthread.php?423518-Sulphur-Slaves-in-Sicily-(1910)&goto=newpost
Wed, 23 May 2018 23:12:25 GMTThis blog post on history (http://bloggers.iitaly.org/bloggers/1066/child-slavery-sicily-1910) contains vivid descriptions of nightmarish work in Sicilian sulphur mines, the misery of the sulphur carriers (caruso) and the detrimental effects this toil had on their bodies. Good reference for...

This blog post on history contains vivid descriptions of nightmarish work in Sicilian sulphur mines, the misery of the sulphur carriers (caruso) and the detrimental effects this toil had on their bodies. Good reference for converting and painting e.g. Goblin or Human mine slaves for Chaos Dwarfs and Skaven, though more likely to be adults than children (the detrimental effects will still be much the same from overwork). Excerpts taken from Booker T. Washington's The Man Farthest Down.

The original imagery of Hell is in the first instance likely inspired by mines.

Here are a few bits of hobby interest. My emboldenings for modelling and painting reference:

Quote:

These boy slaves were frequently beaten and pinched, in order to wring from their overburdened bodies the last drop of strength they had in them. When beatings did not suffice, it was the custom to singe the calves of their legs with lanterns to put them again on their feet. If they sought to escape from this slavery in flight, they were captured and beaten, sometimes even killed.

...

Children of six and seven years of age were employed at these crushing and terrible tasks. Under the heavy burdens (averaging about forty pounds) they were compelled to carry, they often became deformed, and the number of cases of curvature of the spine and deformations of the bones of the chest reported was very large. More than that, these children were frequently made the victims of the lust and unnatural vices of their masters. It is not surprising, therefore, that they early gained the appearance of gray old men, and that it has become a common saying that a caruso rarely reaches the age of twenty five.”

This thread has been inspired by a long running thread in the Chaos Wastes. (Wanna see? Well you'll need to guild up so as to gain access to this contorted realm of madness and it's sub realms!).

The basic premise it to share whatever you are working on model-wise. Any and all systems and at any stage of progress. A thread for everyone, a casual place to just appreciate our fellow members work and efforts.

One Rule. Can we avoid bashing manufacturers and their miniatures and just appreciate each others work. If something isn't your thing, please embrace the old adage "If you can't say anything nice, then say nothin' at all". That way we can keep things positive and light for everyone.

So, whatcha doin'?

]]>Random MusingsDeathCat147http://www.warseer.com/forums/showthread.php?423506-Whatcha-DoinDungur Palace in Aksumhttp://www.warseer.com/forums/showthread.php?423501-Dungur-Palace-in-Aksum&goto=newpost
Sat, 19 May 2018 07:22:19 GMTDuring late antiquity, Aksum (https://janakesho1.wordpress.com/2016/01/26/kingdom-of-aksum-axum/) in Ethiopia was a prosperous realm complete with literature (burnt by later invaders, according to tradition), minted coins and imperial conquests overseas in Yemen. Lying on the Roman monsoon wind...

During late antiquity, Aksum in Ethiopia was a prosperous realm complete with literature (burnt by later invaders, according to tradition), minted coins and imperial conquests overseas in Yemen. Lying on the Roman monsoon wind trade route from the Red Sea over to India, a lot of trade passed by Aksum and filled its coffers, and its kings spent a great deal of energy extracting luxury resources for export within his own borders. Here is a modern reconstruction of how the Dungur palace in the capital of Aksum (built during the 3rd to 5th centuries AD) would have looked like. At a distance, the blockiness of it all is more than a little reminiscent of ancient Mesopotamian architecture, although it differs once you get some closer detail:

Codex Seraphinianus (1981) is a surreal encyclopedia written in an imaginary alphabet, made during thirty months by Italian industrial designer Luigi Serafini. Brimming with bizarre stuff, it's worth checking out for Chaos and alien world inspiration, to say the least. As can be seen from one of the illustrations, the Codex gives a new meaning to "make the beast with two backs":

Byzantine (Mediaeval Eastern Roman) emperor Leo V (r. 813-820) has been deemed too clever by half by some students of history.

First he toppled the inept reigning emperor Michael I Rangabe by withdrawing his troops in the middle of an open field battle at Versinikia against the Bulgars, a battle that the Byzantines were in the process of winning (for similar reasons of organization and drill that made the ancient Romans excel at open field battles against foes such as Celts, Iberians and Germans). This resulted in a great slaughter of Constantinople's army, whereupon Michael I resigned voluntarily, Leo seized power and had all Michaels' sons gelded. The triumphant Bulgar army marched to Constantinople, sacrificing in full view of the city walls and demanding negotiations. The Bulgar Khan Krum entered into a meeting with Leo V, but spotted a sign that betrayed how Leo had filled his retinue with assassins. The attempt at the Khan's life was botched, and fleeing slightly wounded back to his host, the enraged Khan burnt Constantinople's suburbs, massacred populations across the southern Balkans and ravaged Byzantine lands. Some years of external peace and internal iconoclam then followed.

In 820, Leo had his former friend and military commander Michael the Amorian arrested on treason charges. Instead of just executing Michael swiftly, Leo concocted a scheme where Michael was to be tied to an ape and cast into a bathhouse furnace, to be either maimed by the monkey or die from burning or dehydration under the heated bathhouse floor. However Christmas got in the way, and Leo delayed with Michael's punishment until after Christmas, whereupon Michael's supporters gathered and assassinated Leo V.

Then Michael II ascended the throne as a man who was not tied to an ape and cast into a furnace.

This Skull Tower in Serbia was raised by Ottoman troops under general Hurshi Pasha following the crushing of a revolt in 1809, where the rebel leader Stevan Sinđelić in the face of certain defeat as enemies flooded the rebels' position, ignited his gunpowder store and blew his own forces apart rather than face impalement as a punishment for rebellion. The heads of the rebels were then collected by the victorious troops, skinned, stuffed and sent to the capital, and then sent back to Niš. All in all 952 skulls were built into the facade of a mortared tower as a monumental warning to the locals to toe the line and not challenge their distant ruler. Today only 58 skulls remain in the 4,5 m high tower, the gaping sockets remaining in their neat horizontal rows.

Note the horizontal wooden beams, reminiscent of the strengthening horizontal brick or stone bands which occur at regular intervals in Medieval castle walls, inclduing in Constantinople's iconic Theodosian city walls.

This works as an inspiration for Chaos Dwarf scenery creation. Terror tactics and monuments go hand in hand with our evil midgets, after all! Perhaps skulls, and especially Orcish skulls, could be replicated in rows by press-casting in green stuff?

]]>Random MusingsKarak Norn Clansmanhttp://www.warseer.com/forums/showthread.php?423468-Skull-Tower-of-NišBike With Double Front Wheelshttp://www.warseer.com/forums/showthread.php?423442-Bike-With-Double-Front-Wheels&goto=newpost
Fri, 20 Apr 2018 07:36:50 GMTOld age gets to even the most youthful of people. My maternal grandfather, 89 years old, is having trouble bicycling uphill because his balance has worsened. Ever the tinkerer, he cannibalized his stored bicycles, welded and built a double front wheel bike (last year it was a simpler attempt at...

Old age gets to even the most youthful of people. My maternal grandfather, 89 years old, is having trouble bicycling uphill because his balance has worsened. Ever the tinkerer, he cannibalized his stored bicycles, welded and built a double front wheel bike (last year it was a simpler attempt at just fastening a spare bike wheel on the side of the back wheel, which sent him toppling into the trench). Note the upward-shooting little rods that prevent the wheels suddenly twisting about 360 degrees if one was to turn too sharply.

Apparently, having two front wheels is much different to riding a normal bike. You cannot turn as sharply, and any bumps in the road jerks about the bike more forcefully. The most obvious difference is that the instinct to turn your body over to one side to prevent the bike going where you don't want it to go, is null and void for a double front wheel assemblage. Instead, trust in steering alone to take you in the right direction. On first tries, the bike will tend to move toward the trench forcing you to stop and jump off, but handling the double front-wheeler correctly is quickly learnt.

This is Mark II. Mark I was a red bike, and welded fast steel-to-steel. Grandpa switched to the purple bike for its more numerous gears, yet was surprised to find that the purple bike was made all out of aluminium, which do now weld with steel. This was a hurdle for swearing, but not an overly large problem to overcome for an old farmer who knows his trusty workshop (the anvil is a short piece of railway rail).

There isn't much stopping some people:

]]>Random MusingsKarak Norn Clansmanhttp://www.warseer.com/forums/showthread.php?423442-Bike-With-Double-Front-WheelsInfluence of Sports Equipment on Sci-Fi and Fantasy Designshttp://www.warseer.com/forums/showthread.php?423435-Influence-of-Sports-Equipment-on-Sci-Fi-and-Fantasy-Designs&goto=newpost
Tue, 17 Apr 2018 22:37:37 GMTBack when Games Workshop released the first plastic Cadians, I wondered why their flak armour did not fully cover their guts. As someone engrossed in history, including historical armour, it always seemed odd. When browsing skis and protective gear in a sports supply store that was shutting down...

Back when Games Workshop released the first plastic Cadians, I wondered why their flak armour did not fully cover their guts. As someone engrossed in history, including historical armour, it always seemed odd. When browsing skis and protective gear in a sports supply store that was shutting down some years ago, it quickly became apparent where that design came from: Chest protective gear from motocross, and in particular protective kit in American football.

Are there other examples of modern sports equipment influencing aesthetic design in science fiction and fantasy? Please share and illustrate with pictures along with text.

Back in 1967, the scholar A. Leo Oppenheim published a book filled with more reader-friendly samples of ancient Mesopotamian letters, which go some length toward bringing to life the everyday commotion, raiding, warfare, religion, commerce and political wrangling of those times. These letters were written in ancient Mesopotamia and beyond, in old Assyrian trading colonies in Anatolia and by kings in Canaan and Syria exchanging word with their liege, either the Hittite king or the Egyptian Pharaoh (Akkadian cuneiform was the universal diplomatic language of the bronze age).

The amount of cuneiform tablets (not to speak of petty fragments) uncovered by archaeologists during the last two centuries amount to well over 100'000, with probably more than a million tablets still in the ground. The sheer information preserved is enormous, and Assyriologists will have translation work to keep them occupied for many hundreds of years to come. However, vast though this clay treasure is, it is not the liveliest of ancient source material by a long shot. Writing started out as book keeping, and it shows in the Mesopotamian letters. When writing became used for more versatile tasks than keeping count of wares, it retained a stilted and formal manner, upheld by rigorous tradition in prestigious scribal schools over many centuries. The sheer age of Mesopotamian writing means that it's boring, dry and business-like, but pretty interesting at times nonetheless. You will have to search out ancient Greek authors to find some sort of lively language developed in old writing!

I would like to share some of the more interesting Mesopotamian letters with you, should anyone wish to read it.

Letters from Mesopotamia presents a cherry-picked collection of more or less intact clay tablet letters. There are a lot of bureaucratic stuff, some law cases, omen-gazing and lots of merchant letters. There are royal correspondence and military letters. There are glimpses of disease and calamities, of convoluted ritual practices and There are also personal disputes where the heated tempers of folk shine through the formal words.

And there are some astonishing amount of flattery from the Pharaoh's Canaanite vassals to their boss. How would you like it to be addressed like this at the start of a letter?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Excerpt from letter 60

Envelope: A letter of Kalbu to his lord (the guenna-official of
Nippur).

Tell my lord, the perfect, the gorgeous, the offspring of heaven,
our protective angel, the expert and effective warrior, the light
among his brothers, the shining gem, the trust of all important
persons, endowed with nobility, the provider for scholars, the
table laden for all people, outstanding among his peers, to whom
the gods Anu, Enlil, and Ea, and also the goddess Belet-ili, have
granted a treasure of graces and riches—tell my lord: Kalbu, who
is dust and but your favorite slave, sends the following message. ...

Seven times and again seven times I prostrate myself at the
feet of Your Majesty—I, the dust under the sandals of Your
Majesty. My lord is the sun (god) who rises over all the countries,
day after day, according to the ordinance of the sun god his gracious
father, whose sweet breath gives life and (which one)
craves(?) when he is hiding, who makes the entire country rest
under (the protection) of his mighty arm; who thunders in the
sky like the storm god so that the entire country trembles at
the sound of him.

This is the message of a slave to his master after he had heard
what the kind messenger of the king (said) to his servant upon
arriving here, and (felt) the sweet fragrance that came out of the
mouth of Your Majesty toward his servant. And he was craving(?)
the king's fragrance before the arrival of the messenger of Your
Majesty. How should one not crave(?) for a fragrance which one's
(text: my) nose remembers (so well)? And indeed, I was extremely
glad when the fragrance of the king wafted towards me
and there was a festival(?) every day because I was so glad. Is not
the entire world happy when it hears the kind messenger (who
comes) from the very presence of my lord. Also the entire country
was in awe of my lord when it heard about the sweet fragrance
and the kind messenger who had come to me. If Your
Majesty would have said "Rise up against a great army!" this
servant would have said to his master: "Aye, aye!" I am carrying
on my heart and my back the command of Your Majesty. The
sun rises over anybody who listens to Your Majesty and obeys
him in his place of office, and who craves(?) the sweet fragrance
from the mouth of his master, but the city of him who has not
listened to the command of your Majesty is (as good as) lost and
his house is lost; his fame is gone forever in the entire country.
Now look (at me), a servant who has listened to his master, his
city is fine, his house is fine, his fame is to endure forever.

You are the sun that rises above me and the wall of bronze
that towers (around me). And for this very reason and on account
of the mighty arm of Your Majesty, I rest secure.
This is what I have (still) to say to the Sun, my father, Your
Majesty: When will I see Your Majesty face to face?

Now I am guarding for Your Majesty Tyre, the great city,
waiting until the mighty arm of the king extends over me to give
me (from the mainland) water to drink and wood to warm me.
As to other matters: Zimrida, the king of Sidon, has been writing
every day to that criminal Azira, son of Abdi-Asratu about
everything he hears from Egypt. This I had to write to my lord
for it is proper that he know about it.

An important form of taxation in ancient Mesopotamia was corvée labour: Digging canals, building structures and doing other work for the state. Several letters are for fighting the bureaucracy:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Letter 8

Tell the governor of the Inland Region, whom the god
Marduk keeps in good health: Dingir-saga sends the following
message:

May the gods Samas and Marduk keep you forever in good
health.

I was very pleased when the god Marduk elevated you to high
office. I said to myself, "A man has been elevated who knows
me; he will do for me what I want. Even those officials around
here who do not know me personally will now do what I want
when I send them a message.

As to the case of the temple singer Nabium-malik, a native of
the town of Habuz, the man made the following deposition to
me. I quote him: "Nobody ever issued a summons for me
to do service as a porter. Now the governor of the Inland Region

has sent me notice, and (after I refused) they took a slave of mine
as a pledge."

This man, Nabium-malik, is a member of my household; he
is not a stranger. He is already performing six other work-obligations,
and he pays the fees incumbent on a high priest and a temple
singer.

I am sending you herewith this tablet of mine; if you truly
care for me, nobody must issue a summons for this man's
household.

Others are plain old nagging:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Letter 16

Tell the Lady Zinu: Iddin-Sin sends the following message:
May the gods Samas, Marduk, and Ilabrat keep you forever in
good health for my sake.
From year to year, the clothes of the (young) gentlemen here
become better, but you let my clothes get worse from year to
year. Indeed, you persisted(?) in making my clothes poorer and
more scanty. At a time when in our house wool is used up like
bread, you have made me poor clothes. The son of Adad-iddinam,
whose father is only an assistant of my father, (has) two new sets
of clothes [break] while you fuss even about a single set of clothes
for me. In spite of the fact that you bore me and his mother only
adopted him, his mother loves him, while you, you do not love
me!

Some bear witness to the despair of human misery:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Letter 17

Tell my master: Your slave girl Dabitum sends the following
message:

What I have told you now has happened to me: For seven
months this (unborn) child was in my body, but for a month now
the child has been dead and nobody wants to take care of me.
May it please my master (to do something) lest I die. Come visit
me and let me see the face of my master! [Large gap ] Why did
no present from you arrive for me? And if I have to die, let me
die after I have seen again the face of my master!

Hardship, indeed, on a large scale. It is easy to imagine the chaos, the fear, the sweaty efforts and the barking masters during raids and warfare:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Letter 23

Tell Belsunu: Qurdusa sends the following message :

May the god Samas keep you in good health.

As you have certainly heard, the open country is in confusion
and the enemy is prowling around in it. I have dispatched letters to
Ibni-Marduk, to Warad-..., and to yourself. Take a lamb from the
flock for the diviner and obtain a divination concerning the cattle
and the flocks, whether they should move into my neighborhood;
if there will be no attack of the enemy and no attack by robbers
the cattle should come to where I am—or else bring them into
the town of Kish so that the enemy cannot touch them. Furthermore,
bring whatever barley is available into Kish and write me
a full report.

What is the worth of a man? Back in those days, they could give the exact market value!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Letter 25

Tell Ahu-klnum: Awll-Amurrim sends the following message:

Immediately after you left for the trip, Imgur-Sin arrived
here and claimed: "He owes me one-third of a mina of silver."
He took your wife and your daughter as pledges. Come back
before your wife and your daughter die from the work of constantly
grinding barley while in detention. Please, get your
wife and your daughter out of this.

Theft is eternal:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Letter 33

Tell Nur-Samas, Awel-Adad, Sin-pilah, Silli-Adad, and the overseer
of the ten-man team: Samas-nasir (the governor of Larsa)
sends the following message:

This is really a fine way of behaving! The orchardists keep breaking
into the date storehouse and taking dates, and you yourselves
cover it up time and again and do not report it to me.

I am sending you herewith this letter of mine; bring these men
to me—after they have paid for the dates. And also the men from
the town Bad-Tibira [end broken]

The king gave me a chariot; this chariot broke at its middle
section due to my constant traveling from the flatlands to the
mountains and back. So now there is no chariot available for me
to ride in when I have to go places. If it so pleases my lord, may
my lord give me a chariot.

I shall surely bring order into the land before my lord arrives.
I am the servant of my lord. May my lord not withhold a chariot
from me.

And neither is human cruelty. Anyone else think of Hobgoblins upon reading this?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Letter 43

Tell my lord: Your servant Bahdi-Lim sends the following message:

The body of a small child which was hardly one year old was
found lying in front of the old dike which is upstream from the
lower ditch openings(?) on the embankment of the river (Euphrates).
The body of the child was cut open at its waist and the [contents]
of its chest were placed on its head and it was [mutilated]
from head to foot. Nobody can tell whether it was male or female.

Nothing is left from its middle down to its lower end. The very
day I heard this report, I resorted to strict measures; I questioned
the overseers of the city quarters, the craftsmen and the harbor(?)
people, but neither any owner of this child nor its father or
mother nor anybody who could [shed light] on this incident came
forward. The very same day, I sent Bell-lu-dari to my lord with
this news. Also during the seven days since I sent Bell-lu-dari, I
have done much questioning but [end broken]

The men of the Awlanum tribe assembled here, their entire
contingent, under Mar-Addu, in order to give battle. We fought
at Tu[.]wi and I inflicted a severe defeat on them. Mar-Addu and
all the tribesmen of the Awlanum are dead; also their slaves and
their clients are killed. Not even one of the enemy escaped with
his life. Rejoice!

Enjoy your luxury fridge! Having ice for drinks was the mark of wealthy and important families, since it had to be extracted with simple hand tools in mountainous areas during winter, then be packaged to minimize melting and then be transported to the customer. Activities of this sort might well take place in the lower reaches of the northwesterly Mountains of Mourns to provide Chaos Dwarf palaces with chilly drinks:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Letter 53

Tell Yasmah-Addu: King Aplahanda (of Carchemish) sends the
following message:

There is now ice available in Ziranum, much of it. Place your
servants there to watch over it so they can keep it safe for
you. They can bring it to you regularly as long as you stay
there. And if no good wine is available there for you to drink,
send me word and I will have good wine sent to you to drink.
Since your home town is far away, do write me whenever you
need anything, and I will always give you what you need.

Sometimes the Pharaoh has need of your daughter and your possessions:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Letter 65

Tell [. . . ] the man in charge of the country Ammia: The King
(of Egypt) sends the following message:

I am sending you herewith this letter to command you: Be on
guard, hold the city of the king which is your responsibility.

Send your daughter straightaway to your king and lord; also
send your presents: twenty healthy slaves, silver-coated chariots
(and) fine horses. Then I, as your king and lord, shall address
you, saying: What you have given to the king as a present in addition
to your daughter is good.

Be assured that the king is as well as the sun god in the sky;
his soldiers and his chariotry are in very, very good condition.

Better keep those solders and chariotry in good order, or else...!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Letter 80

A message from the King of Carchemish: Tell Ibiranu, the king
of Ugarit:

Good health to you!

Here is Talmi-TeSup, the charioteer of the Sun (the Hittite
king), coming to you. He will inspect your infantry and your
chariotry to establish how many there are. Put all the soldiers
and the chariots which have been assigned to you by the palace
in good order. The Sun will make a count. The Sun must under
no circumstances be angered—(this is a matter of) life and death.

Kingly wrath clad in sayings:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Letter 116

An order of the king (Esarhaddon) to the "Non-Babylonian" inhabitants
of Babylon:

I am fine.

There is a proverb often used by people: "The potter's dog,
once he crawls into the (warm) potter's shop, barks at the
potter/3 There you are, pretending—against the commands of the
god—to be Babylonians, and what unspeakable things you and
your master have devised against my subjects! There is another
proverb often cited by people: "What the adulteress says at the
door of the judge's house carries more weight than the words of
her husband." Should you ask yourselves after I sent back to you,
with seals intact, your letters full of empty and insolent(?) words
which you had dispatched: "Why did he return the letters to us?"
I am telling you that I would have opened and read whatever
message my loyal and loving Babylonians had sent me but. . .
[end broken]

Rule of arms and fear:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Letter 120

To the lord of all kings, my lord (Assurbanipal), from your servant
Bel-ibni:

May the gods Assur, Samas, and Marduk bestow upon the lord
of all kings, the king of all countries, my lord, happiness, wellbeing,
a long life, and a long reign.

The day I left the Sea Land, I dispatched five hundred men,
subjects of Your Majesty, to the town of Zabdanu with the order:
"Guard the outlying command posts in the region of Zabdanu,
make attacks against Elam, kill, and take booty." When they
made an attack against the town of Irgidu—that town is four
hours' march this side of Susa—they killed the sheikh of the
Yasil tribe, Ammaladin, two of his brothers, three of his uncles,
and two of his nephews; also Dalail, the son of Abiyadf, and two
hundred citizens of that town, and, although this was a long distance
for them, they took 150 prisoners. As soon as the sheikhs of
the town Lahiru and the Nugud tribesmen saw that my police
troops were making more and more attacks on the other side,
their (own), they became afraid, pledged themselves, and entered
into an agreement of vassalage with Musezib-Marduk, my sister's
son, a servant of Your Majesty, to whom I have entrusted an
outlying command post, declaring: "We are now servants of the
King of Assyria." They started moving all their available bowmen,
[joined] with Musezib-Marduk, and marched against Elam. They
put their hands on their [break], they arrived at the command
post which I has assigned (to them), and I sent them on to Your
Majesty, together with the booty(?) they had taken. They have the
following news about Elam: "Ummanigas, son of Amedirra, has
rebelled against King Ummanhaldasu, and the country from the
town of Hudhud as far as the town of Hadanu has sided with him.
Ummanhaldasu has assembled his armed forces. Now they are
encamped opposite each other along the river."

The man Iqisa, whom I have sent to the palace, knows all about
their news; one should question him in the palace.